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The hurricane Melissa caused severe flooding and structural damage to the Vladimir Ilich Lenin Provincial Hospital in Holguín, one of the main medical institutions in eastern Cuba, as shown in a report by Cuban Television broadcast on Wednesday.
The images broadcast revealed completely flooded rooms, fallen trees, downed electrical poles, and a scene of chaos and destruction both inside and outside the hospital, which is among the most important in the eastern region.
"The situation is extremely tricky," acknowledged the reporter, as he showed workers and doctors trying to drain the accumulated water in the hallways and protect medical equipment with makeshift resources.
A province under water and without electricity
Holguín was one of the provinces hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, which struck eastern Cuba with winds of up to 295 km/h and torrential rains.
The rise of rivers and the collapse of the urban drainage system caused massive flooding, affecting both residential neighborhoods and essential facilities, including hospitals, clinics, and isolation centers.
The Vladimir Lenin Hospital, which was already facing structural and equipment shortages, was partially rendered unusable due to water damage, while power outages and failures in the emergency electrical system complicated care for the admitted patients.
"It has been a very tough blow. There is no electricity, no water, and the generators are barely holding up. We are doing what we can," commented a healthcare worker in anonymous statements shared on social media.
Melissa leaves destruction and institutional collapse
The phenomenon, which directly impacted the eastern region of the country during the early morning hours, caused rivers to overflow, destroyed homes, and disrupted basic services.
Holguín, along with Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Guantánamo, remains in a state of emergency, with blocked roads, overwhelmed hospitals, and intermittent communications.
Meanwhile, the provincial authorities have promised a "comprehensive assessment of the damage," although the magnitude of the disaster clearly exceeds the local response capacity.
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